Mason County and its seat, Havana, have a longstanding history due to locations right along the Illinois River. In the 1600s, French explorers Joliet and Marquette set up camp near present-day Havana during their early explorations. The area's past is highly connected to Native American Indian communities; Havana is the home of the Rockwell Mounds, the second largest Native American burial grounds dating back to about 200 A.D. Rockwell Mounds cover about two acres and stand 14 feet high.

The name for the county was chosen with the influence of immigrants from Mason County, Kentucky. Mason County, on the Ohio River in northeast Kentucky was formed in 1789. The Kentucky County was named for George Mason [1725-1792], a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was also a member of the Virginia Convention of 1775 and the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Mason was the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights which was adopted in June 1776.

The area of Mason County was originally part of Tazewell County, which was formed in 1827. In 1827, while the area was Tazewell County Stephen Dewey surveyed the town of Havana, named for the capitol of Cuba, for Ossian M. Ross and the plat was recorded in Pekin, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas both traveled here on the 8th Judicial Circuit, for the few years it was on the route.

Later, in the days of Chicago gangster Al Capone, Havana was referred to as "Little Reno" because of the floating casinos that were established on the Illinois River. Today, Mason County is known for wildlife and recreational sporting, including fishing and waterfowl hunting. The area is home to a number of wetlands and the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, a 4,500-acre habitat for migrating waterfowl.

By looking at the pictures below, you can get an idea of Mason County in Lincoln’s time and as it stands today. Maybe you’ll find something unexpected when you go Looking for Lincoln in Havana and Mason County, Illinois!

Then

Now

Following the route of Lincoln on the Eighth Judicial Circuit is easy, to learn more about the history of the courthouse in this county, just click here!

You may also want to consider a stop by the following sites of interest!

Havana Public Library

Constructed in 1902, this is the oldest continuously-used Carnegie library in the State of Illinois. Home to a wonderful assortment of old tomes and original printings, it is also home to the Mason County Historical Society. The Havana Public Library District collects genealogical and historical materials that relate to Havana and Mason County. Materials include photographs & images, maps, telephone directories, yearbooks, newspapers, advertisements, and books such as county histories, town histories, and plat books. A genealogical reference collection that also includes the collection of the Mason County Genealogical & Historical Society is housed in this wonderful facility.

Mason County Courthouse

Though only on the Eighth Judicial Circuit for about four years, this stop on the circuit
was the county seat, as well, for roughly that amount of time. In April of 1841, voters
in Mason County elected their officials for the first time, as the county had only been
formed that January from parts of Tazewell and Menard Counties. The county seat at that
time, as had been designated by the Illinois State Legislature and approved by the
governor, was that the county seat rested in Havana, Illinois. This law saw that Mason
County residents were to meet at Havana on the first Monday in April, 1841, and proceeded
to elect a sheriff, treasurer, and other county officers.

Throughout this and all votes and politicking of the time, there were allegations on all
sides of rigging, cheating, and crimes involving the votes and from this an air of
hostility would cloud the county, when Havana was the victor. In fact, one story recounts
that upon discussion of the mill who would supply the timber for the courthouse, open
hostilities broke out and the mill was burned to the ground. The following May term of
court was held at Havana at the hotel of Major Ossian M. Ross, beginning November 12, 1841,
and while terrible snow storm prevailed at the time, Samuel H. Treat was the presiding
judge and court was held regardless.

In 1851, Mason County built the current courthouse, though it has undergone to many
remodels and upgrades to be even recognizable as the original structure.

Havana Water Tower

Certainly an oddity that crops up seemingly from nowhere; this still functioning water tower is older than most homes in the state of Illinois. A testament to the ingenuity of early Illinois, this tower was constructed as the original pumping station in August of 1889. With a capacity of 50,000 gallons this tower has been a continuous part of the city's water system since its construction. In 1993, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Address:
In Havana on Pearl St. north of Rt 136 by 0.4 miles.

Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway - Havana

The Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway unites more than 100 nature-based destinations and numerous unique communities throughout the Illinois River Valley. The Byway showcases great places where you can discover and experience the nature of the region. Whether it be hunting, fishing, hiking, biking or canoeing, exploring wetlands, gardens, birding and watching wildlife, your possibilities for adventure are endless. The Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway will guide you through the Illinois River Valley to some of Illinois' most treasured, natural gems.

Havana, Illinois is situated on the east bank of the Illinois River south of Peoria. In 1908, with its harvest of 24 million pounds, the Illinois River was the most productive inland commercial fishery in the U.S. That year, the harvest accounted for approximately 10% of the total U.S., more than the entire Mississippi River.

About half of that passed through the fish markets at Havana and Liverpool. In addition, recreational fishing contributed equally to local economies. With its bricked and cobblestoned streets, beautiful river park, and friendly eateries, Havana offers a wonderful respite to visitors. "Birds-as-art" aficionados will want to stop at the Havana Public Library (the oldest continuously used Carnegie library in Illinois) to view Herman August Glick's collection of hand-carved waterfowl and shorebird figures.

Illinois River Country Nature Trail

Named for the capitol of the Isle of Cuba, Havana is the county seat of Mason County. Located on the banks of the Illinois River, Havana is primarily a rural, agricultural community. In fact, sixty-five percent of the United States' pumpkins are grown in the region making Havana a hot spot for tourists in the fall. Nature-oriented tourists can take the Spoon River Drive in fall for a display of colors unlike anything in the west or go hiking at Riverfront Park or explore the 4,500 acres of nearby Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge.

The Illinois River Road Scenic Byway preserves the natural river country along the banks of the Illinois River, allowing modern visitors to travel the same route as the early French explorers: les Voyageurs. The byway parallels the Illinois River Country Nature Trail, a chain of over one hundred linked nature sites that offer outdoor recreation in the Illinois River Valley.

For years, the Illinois River has served as the main artery for life in this part of Illinois. Several species of migrating waterfowl and other wildlife make their home in the wetland and forest habitats along its banks. Natural areas such as the Wildlife Prairie State Park and the Emiquon TNC Preserve and National Wildlife Refuge provide a varied and beautiful habitat for several of the species that have come to characterize the American frontier experience, such as buffalo, wild geese, and the American bald eagle. These nature areas also contain miles of hiking and biking trails, allowing visitors to listen to the songbirds, enjoy the brilliant autumn colors, or participate in winter sports such as cross country skiing and snowmobiling.

Tall Timbers Marina

Tall Timbers Marina is located behind Bellrose Island in a quiet backwater of the Illinois River. Their marina features 40 seasonal slips for boats up to 40 ft in length and The Blue Heron, a floating ships store. For those traveling the river, we offer overnight transient docking for boats up to 50 ft in length. Guest amenities include clean, private restrooms/showers, and on Sundays, we treat all of our guests to early morning coffee and rolls. When Lincoln started out in Illinois, he discovered the networks and arteries of the rivers that gave life to Illinois. Come and see the waterways that made Illinois great!

Emiquon Preserve

Emiquon, an hour south of Peoria on the Illinois River, is one of the largest floodplain restoration projects in the country outside the Florida Everglades. It is the premiere demonstration site for The Nature Conservancy’s work on the Illinois River and within the Upper Mississippi River system and may ultimately help guide large floodplain river restoration efforts around the world. Emiquon once was the jewel of the Illinois River, nurturing diverse and abundant communities of native plants and animals in the complex system of backwater wetlands and lakes. Hundreds of nearby archeological sites, including Native American villages and ceremonial and burial mounds are a quiet testimony to the abundant natural resources that supported more than 500 generations of civilization in this area.

For more than 12,000 years, people have been drawn to the land now called Emiquon. And the land bears witness to the passing of 500 generations of human life, from mysterious burial mounds and ancient cemeteries to acres of modern fields of corn and soybeans. Archaeologists consider Emiquon — with more than 149 documented archaeological sites — and the lands around it, one of the richest places for discovered Native American sites in the country. It is a place of mystery and legend with strong connections to the past.

Address:
Fulton County, about 40 miles southwest of Peoria
and 2 miles northwest of Havana.

Dickson Mounds

Located nearby in Lewiston this branch of the Illinois State Museum and a National Historic Site is one of the major on-site archaeological museums in the United States. It offers a unique opportunity to explore the world of the American Indian in an awe inspiring journey through 12,000 years of human experience in the Illinois River Valley. Visitors to the museum, in west-central Illinois, encounter innovative interpretive exhibits; exciting hands-on activities; archaeological sites; and a variety of special events in a rural setting. The landscape is thrilling and this is the land that Lincoln knew and saw during his travels on the Circuit.